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Brussels asks Helsinki to push for stronger EU in criminal matters
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28.06.2006 - 18:48 CET The European Commission has renewed calls to boost EU powers in criminal matters as well as increase the role of the European Court of Justice in dealing with immigration, asylum or visa cases, urging the incoming Finnish presidency to push the issue.
MEPs shelve prickly anti-fraud debate, again
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29.06.2006 - 09:34 CET The European Parliament has for the third time postponed a plenary debate on embarrassing allegations against the head of the EU anti-fraud office, OLAF chief Franz-Hermann Bruner, citing legal reasons.
Frattini calls for national search into CIA flights and prisons
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EU justice comissioner Franco Frattini has urged national prosecutors and judges to investigate their governments' alleged involvement in secret CIA prisons and flights, using the facts from a key report the Council of Europe backed on Tuesday.
EU praises Bush for wanting 'end' to Guantanamo
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21.06.2006 - 17:48 CET The EU has welcomed US president George W. Bush's statements on ending the Guantanamo prison camp, with the Austrian chancellor saying after Wednesday's bilateral summit that it is "grotesque" to claim that the US is harmful to world peace.
This WEEK in the European Union
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30.06.2006 - 15:24 CET | By Mark Beunderman
EUOBSERVER / WEEKLY AGENDA (2-9 July) This week will be the first in office for the Finnish EU presidency.
Helsinki's stint at the EU helm will kick off on Sunday and Monday (2-3 July) when the complete college of European commissioners will travel to Finland for a traditional meet and greet with the the Finnish cabinet.
The first ministerial meeting chaired by the Finns will take place from Thursday to Saturday, when social ministers will meet informally in Helsinki to discuss productivity and health at work.
Finnish prime minister Matti Vanhanen will on Wednesday present Helsinki's EU priorities to the European Parliament which is meeting in a plenary session in Strasbourg this week.
CIA, SWIFT
MEPs are facing a tightly packed schedule, with citizens' rights concerns over the US fight against terrorism being one dominating theme.
A report by the parliament's temporary committee on alleged illegal CIA activities, saying the US intelligence service was directly responsible for abductions of terror suspects in Europe, will be put to a vote on Thursday.
The draft text of the report faces resistance from the centre-right EPP-ED group in the parliament, with Italian centre-right MEP Jas Gawronski saying this week that "too many allegations in the report are presented as facts."
The latest Washington-related row on citizens rights is also on the MEPs' plate, namely allegations that the SWIFT company, handling international cash transfers, has handed over private payments data to Washington.
MEPs will hear statements on the SWIFT affair from the commission and the Finnish presidency on Wednesday, putting their own report on the issue to a vote on Thursday.
Other parliament topics
Another current affairs debate to be held on Wednesday is on the mounting crisis in the Palestinian territories, with both presidency and commission participation.
Meanwhile, environmental, budget and institutional topics will also feature on the MEP's schedule.
Reports on batteries and their waste, as well as on the impact of air traffic on climate change are up for debate on Monday, while MEPs will on the same day also discuss the controversial planned EU fundamental rights agency.
On Tuesday, the parliament is set to give the green light the EU's main regional funding programmes for 2007-2013, amounting to around €308 billion.
Commission re-thinks Russia ties
The commission will also travel to Strasbourg for its weekly meeting, scheduled this week on Tuesday.
In the meeting, the EU executive is set to adopt a text with ideas on sustainable fishing, aimed at maintaining or restoring stocks to stable levels, while a strategy on children's rights will also be agreed.
Commissioners will further discuss the thorny issue of EU-Russia ties, with Brussels seeking a mandate from member states to renegotiate the current Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between Brussels and Moscow, open for changes from 2007 onwards.
Finally, amid rising tensions between the EU and Serbia, enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn will jet off to Belgrade on Thursday for a meeting with Serb prime minister Vojislav Kostunica and president Boris Tadic.
Talks between Mr Rehn and the political leadership and opposition in newly independent Montenegro will follow on Friday.
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Sources: Thousands of Turkish troops enter Iraq
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) -- Several thousand Turkish troops crossed into northern Iraq early Wednesday to chase Kurdish guerrillas who operate from bases there, Turkish security officials said.... |
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Could an al-Qaeda Attack Trigger War With Iran?
Following revelations of a George W. Bush administration policy to hold Iran responsible for any al-Qaeda attack on the U.S. that could be portrayed as planned on Iranian soil... |
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U.S. doubles air attacks in Iraq
BAGHDAD - Four years into the war that opened with "shock and awe," U.S. warplanes have again stepped up attacks in Iraq , dropping bombs at more than twice the rate of a year ago. ... |
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NPR interviews Dahr Jamail on State of Iraq Hospitals
The five minute interview with Michelle Norris is a good one. However, if the NPR show were true to its title, "All Things Considered"... |
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Bipartisan panel urges agencies to order civilians to Iraq
With the situation in Iraq "grave and deteriorating," the United States must begin the process of shifting troops out of the country, members of a bipartisan panel said Wednesday... |
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Sunnis Reject
Early Iraq Election Results, Calling for Inquiry
BAGHDAD,
Iraq, Dec. 20 - Sunni Arab leaders angrily rejected early election
results on Tuesday, saying the vote had been fixed in... |
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Dispelling
Myths About Iraq
The
bruising debate over U.S. Iraq policy often seems to stray far from
the reality on the ground inside Iraq. Although Iraq’s progress
... |
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Iraqis Glad
2005 Over, Dim Hopes for 2006
*BAGHDAD,
Dec 20 (IPS) - Despite the parliamentary elections last week
and temporary ease in violence ... |
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Religious Groups
Take Early Lead in Iraqi Ballots
BAGHDAD,
Iraq, Dec. 19 - Early voting results announced by Iraqi electoral
officials on Monday, with nearly two-thirds of the ballots ... |
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David Brooks:
Taking a long view of the Iraq conflict
WASHINGTON
Over the past few years, the Iraq war has morphed from a war of liberation
against Saddam Hussein into a civil conflict between Sunnis and Shiites
... |
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Yosfiya: The
21st Century Nazis Are Here
Weary
of the overall failure of the US media to accurately report on the
realities of the war in Iraq for the Iraqi people and US soldiers,
Dahr Jamail went to Iraq to report on the war himself... |
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U.S. Is Said
to Pay to Plant Articles in Iraq Papers
WASHINGTON,
Nov. 30 - Titled "The Sands Are Blowing Toward a Democratic Iraq,"
an article written this week for publication in the Iraqi press was
scornful of outsiders' pessimism about the country's future... |
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N. Korea warns of nuclear war if attacked
North Korea will respond to a pre-emptive U.S. military attack with an "annihilating strike and a nuclear war," the state-run media said Monday, heightening its antagonistic rhetoric.... |
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Israel says no negotiations on soldier
Palestinian militants holding an Israeli soldier gave Israel less than 24 hours Monday to start releasing 1,500 Palestinian prisoners ... |
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In the Shadow
of Sharon
IT
is too early to assess Ariel Sharon's legacy. To be sure, he will
be remembered as one of Israel's great field commanders, the wily,
bulldozing general ... |
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The New Red,
White and Blue
As
we enter 2006, we find ourselves in trouble, at home and abroad. We
are in trouble because we are led by defeatists - wimps, actually... |
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Life After
Ariel Sharon
When
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon announced two months ago that he was leaving
the right-wing Likud Party, which he had embodied for three decades... |
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Administration
Cites War Vote in Spying Case
WASHINGTON,
Dec. 19 - President Bush and two of his most senior aides argued Monday
that the highly ... |
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Austrian presidency
will not press for EU constitution
EUOBSERVER
/ BRUSSELS - Austrian foreign minister Ursula Plassnik has indicated
that her country's incoming six-month EU... |
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DEFINING THE
AMERICAN INTEREST
The
American Interest (AI) is a new and independent voice devoted to the
broad theme of "America in the world." Our agenda is threefold.
The first is to analyze America's... |
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THE AMAZING
BUBBLE-MAN
Alan
Greenspan is the great guru of the American economy, the spell-master
over the fortunes of multitudes the world over. Chairman of... |
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US DEPARTMENT
OF STATE RELEASED A PRESS STATEMENT ABOUT U.S.-IZRAEL STRATEGIC DIALOGUE
On
November 28, 2005, the United States and Israel conducted a strategic
dialogue led by Under Secretary for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns
and Minister of Jerusalem... |
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An Offering
of Detail But No New Substance
Thirty-two
months after U.S. forces invaded Iraq, President Bush's advisers concluded
that his message of "stay the course" has been translated by a weary
American public as "stay forever." And so yesterday the president
tried to reassure the nation... |
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9/11 Commissioners
Fault Administration
WASHINGTON
-- Reviewing action on recommendations it made last year, the Sept.
11 commission on Monday criticized the Bush administration for not
adopting standards for treatment of captured terror suspects... |
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US
refuses to rule out use of torture
THE
White House has refused to rule out the use of torture in an effort
to prevent a major terrorist attack, arguing the war on terror could
present a "difficult dilemma" and the US administration
was duty-bound to protect the American people... |
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American
Majority Says Bush Misled on Iraq
(Angus
Reid Global Scan) – Many adults in the United States are questioning
their president’s motives to launch the coalition effort, according
to a poll by Hart/McInturff released by the Wall Street Journal... |
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EU opens door to hidden TV adverts
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS – More frequent commercial breaks as well as product placements, ... |
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EU states under fire for red tape on foreign workers
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - The European Commission is set next week to present a report criticising ... |
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There is too much hyperbole over the EU consitutional treaty
EUOBSERVER / COMMENT - I am getting increasingly fed up with those who qualify the Constitutional Treaty as a "radical new departure" ... |
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Brussels asks Helsinki to push for stronger EU in criminal matters
The European Commission has renewed calls to boost EU powers in criminal matters as well as increase the role of ... |
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MEPs shelve prickly anti-fraud debate, again
The European Parliament has for the third time postponed a plenary debate on ... |
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Frattini calls for national search into CIA flights and prisons
EU justice comissioner Franco Frattini has urged national prosecutors and judges ... |
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EU praises Bush for wanting 'end' to Guantanamo
The EU has welcomed US president George W. Bush's statements on ending the Guantanamo ... |
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This WEEK in the European Union
EUOBSERVER / WEEKLY AGENDA (2-9 July) This week will be the first in office for the Finnish EU presidency. ... |
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EU troops kill
wife of Bosnian war crimes suspect
The
wife of Bosnian Serb war crimes suspect Dragomir Abazovic was shot
to death in a gun battle as EU troops stormed the couple's house ... |
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Bird flu kills
third child in Turkey
Avian
influenza has cost the life of a third child in Eastern Turkey, raising
fears that the deadly strain of the so-called bird flu virus could
spread ... |
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EU draws up
Adriatic gas plan after Russia-Ukraine fiasco
The
EU might build a new gas pipeline on the Adriatic Sea coast in order... |
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Slovak-Vatican
abortion deal criticised by EU experts
Slovakia
has been challenged by EU legal experts over an agreement with the
Vatican... |
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Commissioner
proposes constitution cherry-picking
French
commissioner Jacques Barrot has proposed that single elements of the
EU constitution be taken out in a bid to save the charter... |
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Blair takes
hits on EU budget deal
British
prime minister Tony Blair, defending the deal on EU’s budget
in front of the House of Commons... |
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Italian bank
chief resigns
Italian
Central Bank governor Antonio Fazio resigned yesterday after the Italian
government had announced... |
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WTO fallout
expected
Polish
experts say the WTO deal could harm EU exporters of milk, sugar, beef
and grain leading to oversupply... |
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Austria to
revive constitution chat
Austria
plans to revive the EU constitution debate and plough ahead with Turkey
accession talks under its incoming... |
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EU threatens
to cut Palestine funds if Hamas wins
The
EU's exterior relations chief Javier Solana will stop EU funding for
Palestine if Hamas wins the Palestinian elections saying... |
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Ukraine snubbed
in Russia gas row
Ukraine
prime minister Yuri Yekhanourov flew to Moscow for gas price talks
but came back with nothing as Russia... |
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Serbian grip
on Kosovo weakening
Less
and less people in Serbia and on an international level support the
idea of a Serbian Kosovo, Le Figaro writes... |
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New Baltic
gas pipeline scheme
Finland
and Estonia are talking about building a gas pipeline linking... |
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Germany to
cooperate with Italy
German
chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday visited Italian prime minister
Silvio Berlusconi amid promises... |
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Turkey pressed
to stop blocking EU-NATO meetings
EUOBSERVER
/ BRUSSELS - Turkey has come under increased pressure to stop blocking
strategic meetings between the EU and NATO... |
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Slovaks
voting on design of euro coins
EUOBSERVER
/ BRUSSELS - Slovak citizens are voting on the country's future eurocoin
designs, with a possibility... |
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Bosnian
leaders in Brussels for US-led constitution talks
Bosnian
political leaders are meeting in Brussels to discuss a reform of their
country’s constitution, on the basis of a draft... |
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Polish
government deepens eurosceptic ties
The
new Polish government secured parliamentary backing on Thursday (10
November) but some fear mounting tension with Brussels in store... |
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Estonian
foreign minister denied entry visa to Russia
Russia
has refused to give the Estonian foreign minister an entry visa, sparking
a diplomatic row with Tallinn... |
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Ex-commissioner
Edith Cresson may lose EU pension
EUOBSERVER
/ BRUSSELS - The European Commission has called for the suspension
of EU pension rights for former French prime minister... |
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Letters
to commissioners to go public in EU transparency drive
EUOBSERVER
/ BRUSSELS - The European Commission has adopted today (9 November)
a controversial "transparency initiative."... |
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